Honest pols are best open-meeting check

Everyone is shocked that the Open Public Meetings Act may have been circumvented by the political party majority at some local and state government bodies. Really?

A big clue can be measures passed by public bodies with neither a detailed explanation, nor any debate among the governing body members. Wouldn’t such items have had to be previously — and privately — discussed?

How about (closed-to-the public) political party meetings? While these may be convened to discuss an upcoming election, the party’s coffers, new candidates or other non-legislative matters, any such meeting may have a majority of a governing body present, as well as the party’s chairperson or officers. Who knows if governing-body business is being discussed, or if it will show up on the agenda at the next public meeting?

Will the new monitor (whom a judge will appoint to ensure that the Gloucester County freeholder board is complying with the public-meeting law) be invited to all political party meetings, too?

We can try to bring everybody into the “sunshine,” but the Open Public Meetings Act can be circumvented. It really depends on the honesty of the politician, and his or her ability to resist peer pressure.